CM Punk should make us ashamed to be UFC fans

[megatherium]

I used to invite all my friends over for every event pretty well. UFC, Pride, Battlecade, whatever was on, starting back in '95. Last time that happened was about five years ago.

I believe one of those guys still orders the odd card.

 

[dacofty]

I am a fan of a good fight no matter what promotion, the UFC is showing that they will do anything to match the WWE numbers which are on a weekly basis 2 times or so a week they bring in more numbers that the UFC and its FAKE! Dana thinks by brining in a guy with a name will bring over WWE fans, it would have when he first signed but as the months go on, no one is really caring anymore, its not when is he gonna fight its will he ever fight. I am a fan of the fighters as long as they are fighters who give their all and not be given things to grow the UFC.

 

[ejlarson]

It definitely doesn't look good when they refuse to sign Askren and let go of guys like Fitch,Okami, and Shields yet sign CM Punk. All legitimacy goes out the window.

Are you serious? DO you not know why Askren isn't signed? Doesn't matter if it's "right or wrong" but you can't trash your perspective boss to the WORLD and expect them to hire you...

Just wow.

 

[ThatOneDude]

Are you serious? DO you not know why Askren isn't signed? Doesn't matter if it's "right or wrong" but you can't trash your perspective boss to the WORLD and expect them to hire you...

Just wow.

When that boss shits on fighters and fans constantly, I'd say it's ok

 

[teamquestnorth]

Are you serious? DO you not know why Askren isn't signed? Doesn't matter if it's "right or wrong" but you can't trash your perspective boss to the WORLD and expect them to hire you...

Just wow.

Do you not remember Dana publically bashing Askren for months while he was with Bellator? You can't blame Askren for firing back and not just taking it like a bitch.

Dana started the shit talking. Askren responded in kind.

 

[Narcosynthesis]

People will pay to see him fight. That's really all that matters.

 

[dacofty]

People will pay to see him fight. That's really all that matters.

Bet I wont

 

[Narcosynthesis]

Bet I wont

For every 1 of you there are 20 wwe fans that cant wait to see CM Punk fight for real.

 

[Emmery Myers]

Oh boy. Hardcore fans are so melodramatic inside our little bubble.

The UFC is a combat sports promotion. Combat sports are driven by individual interest in athletes, unlike team sports which are driven by interest in teams, irrespective of athletes. This means that the UFC must put on fights that fans want to see.

The UFC makes a concerted effort to put on the best and most deserving title fights. There is not a single division where you can look and see someone who should be champion but has been denied for some reason. Even the worst most undeserving title fights still involve top ten contenders.

The UFC has two jobs - put on high level fights with the best in the world - they do that. And put on fights people want to see - they also do that. There is a balance.

I find it endlessly ironic that it is hardcore fans that are the ones who cannot understand the sport for what it really is.

As for "the integrity" of the sport, literally zero people care about this or think this looks bad besides hardcores who watch anyway. Casual fans and the mainstream sports world only pays attention when there is buzz or interest, so I promise you that fights which create buzz and interest do not hurt the supposed "pure sport integrity" of fucking cage fighting bros.

 

[Punch]

Here's my question, are you UFC fans or fans of fighters who fight in the UFC?

A fan of the fighters

 

[Sweets]

So PRIDE puts on a freak show and it's part of the magic; but the UFC do it and they are selling out the sport? I don't get it.

 

[Emmery Myers]

So PRIDE puts on a freak show and it's part of the magic; but the UFC do it and they are selling out the sport? I don't get it.

Frankly, only dipshits ignorant to the sport carry on and on about how the UFC is turing the sport into the WWE and this and that. The UFC was never any different, and neither was boxing dating back to the 60s.

 

[ThatOneDude]

Frankly, only dipshits ignorant to the sport carry on and on about how the UFC is turing the sport into the WWE and this and that. The UFC was never any different, and neither was boxing dating back to the 60s.

Except now they are pushing to be viewed as a "real" sport

 

[Emmery Myers]

Except now they are pushing to be viewed as a "real" sport

Combat sports are different. There is this completely fictitious moronic concept of "pure sport" that we have created in the hardcore bubble. Combat sports aren't the same as team sports. What drives fan interest inherently requires a bit of sports entertainment to be infused. And the sport is better this way. The sport won't be viewed any more legit by anyone if we sanitize it.

 

[ThatOneDude]

Combat sports are different. There is this completely fictitious moronic concept of "pure sport" that we have created in the hardcore bubble. Combat sports aren't the same as team sports. What drives fan interest inherently requires a bit of sports entertainment to be infused. And the sport is better this way. The sport won't be viewed any more legit by anyone if we sanitize it.

I get what you're saying. I'm just stating what the UFC has said they are trying to do, but then do carny shit.

 

[Emmery Myers]

It is a false dichotomy. No one cares about the UFC at the water cooler without some spice. As hardcore fans, we fall in love with our images of pure fighters and martial artists and all this, but the mainstream audience which is where true "legitimacy" comes from do not care about fights unless there are narratives behind them.

Some people can appreciate well shot and choreographed shoot outs and fight scenes for what they are. Action movie and film buffs can appreciate that on an artistic level. But most viewers will only find the violence emotionally rewarding if it is part of a storyline. People need an emotional pay off to appreciate violence

Team sports work this way too. We get invested in teams emotionally. The pay off is watching the yankees/cowboys/patriots whatever win or lose. In MMA, individual fighters have to draw the interest of fans.

 

[lookoutawhale]

Except now they are pushing to be viewed as a "real" sport

Agreed. I think the UFC should just come out and say they are not totally a sport, that they love the spectacle and then go full fledged with that. They need to stop comparing themselves to real sports where its about standings and points. MMA is all about entertainment. They dont truly care who is the best, just who sells the most PPV's.

I want them to go Pride style with the crazy intros, midgets fighting, sumos vs fighters, open weightclass tournaments. all sorts of nutty things.

 

[Emmery Myers]

Agreed. I think the UFC should just come out and say they are not totally a sport, that they love the spectacle and then go full fledged with that. They need to stop comparing themselves to real sports where its about standings and points. MMA is all about entertainment. They dont truly care who is the best, just who sells the most PPV's.

I want them to go Pride style with the crazy intros, midgets fighting, sumos vs fighters, open weightclass tournaments. all sorts of nutty things.

I still think this ignores the reality that combat sports are unique. There is no dichotomy between being a real sport and having some of these entertainment elements with MMA. Combat sports by rule have them. Boxing has had them since the beginning.

The olympics even held a gun to wrestling's head and threatened to pull the trigger on the entire sport unless it got more entertaining.

People get the shit backwards. The UFC isn't copying pro wrestling. Pro wrestling is copying combat sports.

 

[Emmery Myers]

If this happened today in MMA yall would say they were copying modern WWE lol.

 

[La Paix]

I get what you're saying. I'm just stating what the UFC has said they are trying to do, but then do carny shit.

My thoughts as well. The problem isn't Phil its just that they won't acknowledge its a spectical fight.

 

[lookoutawhale]

I still think this ignores the reality that combat sports are unique. There is no dichotomy between being a real sport and having some of these entertainment elements with MMA. Combat sports by rule have them. Boxing has had them since the beginning.

The olympics even held a gun to wrestling's head and threatened to pull the trigger on the entire sport unless it got more entertaining.

People get the shit backwards. The UFC isn't copying pro wrestling. Pro wrestling is copying combat sports.

If the UFC wanted to though, they could create a true sport where it was quantitative. Where a win gets you a certain amount of points and standings dictate who fights who and not twitter beefs.

A type of Premier League Soccer stratum where the fighters each season with the lowest amount of points get sent to a bottom tier of fighters in a feeder leauge and the top tier of fighters in the feeder league get sent up to the big leagues.

They try and stay in the middle. I liked Pride more where they didn't really give a damn hehe. They went all out with the pomp and ceremony, naked dudes drumming, a man on the roof announcing the start of the event, tarp on the ring that gets blown away, fantastic sets, ramp. Open Weight Hulk tourneys, sometimes fights with no time limit, no rounds. All sorts of interesting stuff.

 

[Emmery Myers]

If the UFC wanted to though, they could create a true sport where it was quantitative. Where a win gets you a certain amount of points and standings dictate who fights who and not twitter beefs.

Why would the UFC want to create a sport destined for bankruptcy?

If wins were all that mattered, the quality of fights would drastically decline. If all I needed to do to get a title shot was win, regardless of how entertaining or enticing it is to the fans, I'd Fitch everyone. So would you. So would every other competitor. MMA can't work that way.

Spectator combat sports can't ever be this way. There are combat sports that work that way, and they're nigh unwatchable. Wrestling. Olympic boxing. BJJ. Unless you are a super hardcore fan of those, you're not watching that shit.

 

[La Paix]

Why would the UFC want to create a sport destined for bankruptcy?

If wins were all that mattered, the quality of fights would drastically decline. If all I needed to do to get a title shot was win, regardless of how entertaining or enticing it is to the fans, I'd Fitch everyone. So would you. So would every other competitor. MMA can't work that way.

Spectator combat sports can't ever be this way. There are combat sports that work that way, and they're nigh unwatchable. Wrestling. Olympic boxing. BJJ. Unless you are a super hardcore fan of those, you're not watching that shit.

If wins were all that mattered, the quality of fights would drastically decline. If all I needed to do to get a title shot was win, regardless of how entertaining or enticing it is to the fans, I'd Fitch everyone. So would you. So would every other competitor. MMA can't work that way.

I don't believe this at all. Look at guys like Jones, BJ, Fedor or Anderson. They are in the GOAT talks because they can prove to be the best in the division and be very entertaining at the same time. Not all hockey teams play the trap to get the cup.

Not fair to assume that because you would take the path of Fitch that everyone else would too.

 

[lookoutawhale]

Why would the UFC want to create a sport destined for bankruptcy?

If wins were all that mattered, the quality of fights would drastically decline. If all I needed to do to get a title shot was win, regardless of how entertaining or enticing it is to the fans, I'd Fitch everyone. So would you. So would every other competitor. MMA can't work that way.

Spectator combat sports can't ever be this way. There are combat sports that work that way, and they're nigh unwatchable. Wrestling. Olympic boxing. BJJ. Unless you are a super hardcore fan of those, you're not watching that shit.

I think they should display who won each round so we know the score. That way a guy can just go in balls out when he knows hes lost the first 2 rounds in a 3 rounder and will go for the knockout.

I agree with you on the fact that since this is a PPV based sport it has to be entertaining or people won't purchase. Unlike other sports where boring people have ruled for a long time but since its on cable people have to deal with it.Like the New Jersey Devils for the 90's in Hockey where they created the neutral zone trap and bored the hell out of hockey fans but managed to win the stanley cup a few times. We all had to deal with it and other teams had to strategize how to get around it. Its just how it is in sports.

Mayweather is a boring point fighter. So many people were dismayed at his last fight against Manny because nothing happened but thats classic Mayweather. Hes just there to win. He doesnt care if you were entertained. Compare Mayweather to a Prince Naseem Hamed who was a showman. His entertainment value was off the charts.

Boring fighters like Fitch will come along but you have to strategize around it. It takes skill to see what Fitch is doing. Then people will tune in just to see him lose like Mayweather. But it will still be a sport.

Problem is that UFC keeps saying this is a sport... they have to stop saying that. Its half sport and half entertainment. I love the fact that Seth Petrezulli wanted to come out like a dog on a leash in his intro but Dana nixed it, I loved Tom Lawler with his hilarious weigh ins and intros but it was frowned upon by Dana, Mayhem had cool openings but Dana didnt like him coming out like a psycho, or when Lee Murray came out in a Silence of Lambs outfit. UFC frowns upon it. So its like what is this? You wont let it be a sport or entertainment.. they need to make a choice. Its in purgatory at the moment.

 

[lookoutawhale]

I don't believe this at all. Look at guys like Jones, BJ, Fedor or Anderson. They are in the GOAT talks because they can prove to be the best in the division and be very entertaining at the same time. Not all hockey teams play the trap to get the cup.

hehe i just used the new jersey trap example a few seconds after you